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April 26, 2012

Schadenfreude 128 (A Continuing Series)

Michael Pineda won't make his Yankees' debut until late April of next year at the earliest.

The Yankees found that out Tuesday when a dye contrast MRI exam revealed an anterior labral tear in the right shoulder that will require arthroscopic surgery to repair. ... Surgery is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday ...

"I am devastated," said Cashman, who ... believes Pineda suffered the tear on the 15th - and final - pitch of a game Saturday in the extended spring training game and that previous MRI exams, which didn't include dye contrast, showed a clean shoulder although he admitted there could have been a small problem that was dormant.

The injury was first described yesterday afternoon as a "discreet" [sic] tear, then later as "significant".

Maybe Brian Cashman just ought to stay away from making major pitching acquisitions. Like the lousy blackjack player who keeps going back to Las Vegas, he always seems to have things end badly for him. ...

A betting man would not gamble that the Yankees ever get a high-end version of Pineda. And the short- and long-term ramifications of that are traumatic for the organization.

For the Yankees envisioned Pineda mastering a changeup this year to mix with his power stuff, galvanizing him as a top-of-the-rotation force by the time the 2012 stretch arrived.

And Pineda also was central to the Yankees' vow to shrink their luxury tax payroll beneath $189 million for 2014 to benefit from the inducements for doing so within the new collective bargaining agreement. ...

So for now, Pineda remains locked on zero wins as a Yankee, two fewer than Kei Igawa, nine fewer than Carl Pavano. Not exactly the class the Yankees dreamed he would be associated when they made short- and long-term plans upon obtaining him.

Following his putrid performance against the Phillies at George M. Steinbrenner Field, Pineda admitted his right shoulder is hurting, and now you must wonder if he will ever again be the pitcher he was for the Mariners during the first half of last season, the pitcher the Yankees thought they were getting when they traded Jesus Montero to Seattle. ...

This was not just about a lack of velocity. Pineda became a pitching pinata, surrendering six runs on seven hits, walking three and striking out only two, lasting only 2.2 innings ... He admitted he tried to dial it up and couldn't. His fastball stayed mostly in the 90-91 mph range. The more he tried to muscle up, the more he lost command. Often, his fastball was straight as an arrow. ...

He then pointed to the back of his shoulder where the pain was most troublesome. That's the red flag of shoulder pain, and Pineda will undergo an MRI today — the worst possible news he and the Yankees could get. ...

He showed no fastball, no confidence; there was no life in his body, much less his pitches. He had lost it all and as he tried to explain all his pitching woes, you had to feel for him, but you also had to realize Pineda put himself in a bad situation by coming into camp way overweight. He was never mentally or physically ready for the challenge of being a Yankee.